Invicta Airways

By Malcolm Finnis

U.S.A.A.F. Station 139 at Thorpe Abbotts in Norfolk was one of many 8th Air Force bases in East Anglia.  With the airfield long deserted, by 1977 the Control Tower was falling into serious disrepair until a group of enthusiasts decided to renovate the building.  The intention was to restore the Tower to its former glory as a memorial museum to the 100th Bomb Group (H) that had operated from the airfield from 1943-1945.

By 1982 the restoration was complete and the museum formally opened.  Malcolm was one of many visitors that weekend and so started an association with the 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum that continues to this day.  ( See www.100bgmus.org.uk )

While the enthusiasts had considerable material to inform them of the aerial exploits of the Mighty Eighth, Malcolm felt a story in the form of a novel would be of interest to other visitors.

This novel is a meticulously detailed reconstruction of the reunion of the Six Eighty First Bomb Group.  The author has interwoven elements of romance, mystery and adventure to create a book that will be greatly appreciated by all those whose sense of loyalty encourages them to follow the fortunes of the disappearing wartime airfields.


‘The Six Eighty First Comes Back’ was published in 1991 and although prices on the internet are quite high, the book can still be obtained direct from the author.